Means for transferring groups of oval cigarettes



R. W. VOIGT Jime Z4, 1930;

mums FOR TRANSFERRIiIG GROUPS OF OVAL GIGARETTES Filed Marc h 24, 1928 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrcE ROBERT WILHELM VOIGT, OF DBESDEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB TO THE FIRM UNI- VERSELLE GIGARETTEN-MASCHINEN-FABRIK J. G. MI l'LLER 8t 00., OF DRESDEN,

GERMANY MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING GROUPS OF OVAL CIGARETTES Application filed March 24, 1928, Serial No, 264,498, and. in Germany July 7, 1927.

The present invention relates to means for transferring groups of oval cigarettes to a location at which they are to be packed.

It is known to deposit separate cigarettes on a conveyor or feed band and to feed them towards an inclined abutment against which the cigarettes are dressed, a cover being provided to prevent the piling of the cigarettes on one another, the inclined abutment thus forming the end of a channel in which the group of cigarettes are collected.

The invention relates more particularly to means for transferring a group of oval cigarettes thus collected to packing position.

The improved means comprises a plunger carried on a swinging arm and adapted to he moved in thelongitudinal direction of the cigarettes, the supporting arm for the plunger under the control of a spring or the like entering a slot in the channel and being controlled by a guide rail or the like in such manner that the plunger takes with it the group of cigarettes contained in the channel and feeds them to the packing position whereupon the supporting arm under the action of it spring swings outwardly and removes the plunger from the path of the cigarettes, so that it clears the cigarette packet ready to receive the cigarettes.

The plunger may thus be caused to enter the feed path of the cigarettes at will and without interruption of the path the plunger may be caused to act on the group of cigarettes throughout the duration of the feeding operation.

If the support for the plunger is mounted on an endless band or chain, the flights of which run parallel to the direction of feed of the plunger, the plunger may be controlled in any desired manner in continuous operation by the provision of a simple guide rail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1'1 of Figure2 which is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figures 3 to 5 show details.

Referring to the drawings, the'oval cigarettes Z are fed along the feed band 1 to the right hand of Figure 1 until the first cigarette reaches the inclined abutment. The following cigarettes lie against the first which is dressed on the inclined surface, the cover 3 preventing piling of the cigarettes on one another. As the separate cigarettes pass, a lug 5 carried by a spring 4: is forced downwards through an. opening 6 in the guide track 1. When a group of cigarettes has collected, the lug 5 is projected upwards, that is to say, it moves into the position shown in Figure 1, where it acts to hold the group together. Obviously, the previously collected group can also be pushed forward as a whole along the channel into the position shown.

The group of cigarettes must now be removed from the channel the bottom of which is formed by the guide track 1, and the upper side of which is formed by the cover 3. Such removal of the cigarettes is effected by means of a plunger 7, which is shown in detail in Figures 3 and l, and in Figure 1 is shown behind the group of cigarettes Z partly by dotted lines. This plunger forms a kind of rail and is carried by an arm 8 which is pivoted at 9 on a support 10. A spring 12 secured to the support at 11, is connected at 18 to the arm 8 and tendscontinuously to raise the latter. 7

The support 10 (see Figure 2) is secured by the pins 16, 17 to two parallel endless chains 14 and 15. The lower chain 14 runs over'sprockets 18, one of which is shown in Figures 1 and 2. ,The sprocket 18' is keyed on the'shaft 19 and with its hub 20 is mounted in the bearing'bracket21 which is formed as a casing 22, enclosing the sprocket 18. The rim 23 which is concentric with the sprocket 18 serves as a guide for-the chain 15- When the support 10 is moving in the horzontal part of the upper flight, a guide rolier mounted on the supporting arm 8 runs on a guide rail 25 (shown dotted in Figure 2). This guide rail maintains the supporting arm 8 in the horizontal position against the action of the spring 12. In this position the supporting arm 8 enters a slot at the end of the channel in which the group of oval cigarettes islocated, as shown in Figure 1. The plunger 7 bears with its whole surface against the upper surface of the cigarettes and takes the whole group with it in the longitudinal direct-ion of the cigarettes to the packing position. As soon as the plungor has accomplished its work, the guide rail 25 releases the arm 8 allowing its spring 12 to act so that the plunger is removed from the path of the cigarette group. hen the plunger returns on its endless band, a new group of cigarettes is ready to be moved. It is obvious that a number of plungers may be located behind one another at suitable distances apart on the endless chain.

I claim:

1. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a covered channel to a packing position comprising in combination a support, an arm pivotally mounted on said support, and a plunger carried by said arm and adapted to feed said groups of cigarettes along said channelinto packing position, a spring connecting said arm with saidsupport and a guide rail asso ciated with said plunger for guiding said plunger into said channel, said guide rail terminating in front of the packing position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7 I

2. Means for transferring groups of oval cigarettes from the end of a covered channel having an inclined abutment to packing position comprising in combination a support, an arm pivotally mounted on said support, and a plunger carried by said arm and adapted to feed said groups of cigarettes along said channel into packing position, a spring connecting said arm with said support and a guide rail associated with said plunger for guiding said plunger into said channel, said guide rail terminating in front of the packing position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a covered channel to a packing position comprising in combination a support, said support mounted on an endless conveyor said conveyor having flights extending parallel to the channel for the cigarettes from the collecting position to the packing position, an arm pivotally mounted on said support, and a plunger carried by said arm and adapted to feed said groups of cigarettes along said channel into packing position, a spring connecting said arm with said support and a guide rail associated with said plunger for guiding said plunger into said channel, said guide rail terminating in front of the packing position, substantially'as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a channel to a packing position comprising in combination a support, said support carried by two parallel chains said chains extending parallel with said channel, a sprocket for one of said chains and a guide rail for the other of said chains, said guide rail concentric with said sprocket, an arm pivotally mounted on said support, and a plunger carried by said arm and adapted to feed said groups of cigarettes along said channel into packing position, a spring connecting said arm with said support and a guide rail associated'with said plunger for guiding said plunger into said channel, said guide rail terminating in front of the packing position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position ina covered channel to a packing position comprising in combination a support, a pusher pivotally mounted on said support and adapted to feed said groups of cigarettes along said covered channel into packing position, means continuously urging said pusher out of said channel, and guiding means for guiding said pusher into said channel,

said guiding meansterminating in front of the packing position whereby said pusherwill not affect said cigarettes when in said packing position.

6. Means for transferring groupsof cigarettes from a collecting position in achannel to a packing position comprising a resiliently supported pusher adapted to feed said cigarettes along said channel into packing position, and means for forcing said pusher periodically into operative position in said channel and permitting the same to be automatically returned to inoperative position when said cigarettes have been completely 7 pushed into packing position.

7 Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a channel to a packing position comprising a resiliently supported pusher, means for feeding said pusher along said channel to push said cigarettes into packing position, and means for forcing said pusher periodically into operative. position in said channel and permittingthe same to be automatically returned to inoperative position when said cigarettes have been completely pushed into packing position.

8. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a covered channel to a packing position comprising a pusher, means for feeding said pusher along said covered channel to push said cigarettes into packing position and means for forcing said pusher periodically into operative position in said channel and means automatically returning said pusher to inoperative position when it reachessaid packing position, and after said cigarettes have been completely pushed into said packing position.

9. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a covered channel to a packing position comprising a pusher and means for feeding said pusher along said covered channel to push said cigarettes into packing position, and to automatically cause said pusher to clear said packing position When said cigarettes have been completely pushed into said position.

10. Means for transferring groups of cigarettes from a collecting position in a covered channel to a packing position comprising a pusher, an endless conveyor means for feeding said pusher along said covered channel,

and means for forcing said push member into operative position in said channel to push said cigarettes into packing position and to automatically cause said pusher to clear said packing position when said cigarettes have been completely pushed into said position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROBERT WILHELM VOIGT. 

